My Beautiful Laundrette

An uncommon love story that takes place between a young South London Pakistani man (Gordon Warnecke), who decides to open an upscale laundromat to make his family proud, and his childhood friend, a skinhead (Daniel Day-Lewis), who volunteers to help make his dream a reality. This culture-clash comedy is also a subversive work of social realism, which dares to address racism, homophobia, and sociopolitical marginalization in Margaret Thatcher's England.

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The film was kind of out there and weird but I enjoyed it. It was fun to see the actors throw themselves (so fearlessly) into those roles. It really broke the mold of the typical movie. The interracial pairing was interesting and the fact that it took place in the 80's also added an interesting element. Its definitely not your cookie cutter movie, (including the ending which feels a bit abrupt,) but all in all, I enjoyed the journey.

This film from Stephen Frears deals with lives of Pakistani immigrants, some doing well and some doing poorly, in London. He throwed in a gay theme to it too, although I am not sure if it served any useful purpose. Overall, a decent, watchable theme. Video quality is not great on the disc, though.

I'd never heard of this film until it was referenced in an interview I read recently...I thought it was just brilliantly done, most especially because of the range of issues & experiences in play. Where a more formulaic gay film would follow the romance narrative closely & let everyone else involved just be supporting cast, the whole center of gravity of this film is elsewhere, in hopes & dreams, racial tension, personal imperfections...loved it. CR

A 1985 comical yet serious drama, that tackled British social problems during the Thatcher era, that included prejudice towards immigrants and gay men. While much has changed for the better since the film was made 30 years ago, it is timely with current events in 2015: immigration and same sex marriage debates.

Not my type of film. I should have read its summary prior to selecting it. I found no interest in the ignorance of racist skinheads, or a bitter alcoholic old man, or his wealthy brother cheating on his wife with his trophy white woman, or his young rebellious exhibitionist daughter, or closet homosexuals. Just bizarre, and somewhat pointless.

voisjoe1
Sep 14, 2013

The real stars of this film are two great Pakistanis Saeed Jeffrey and Roshan Seth. One plays an alcoholic father who basically lies in bed each day and tries to arrange an improved life for his son. The other Pakistani star plays the alcoholic’s brother who is a corrupt businessman. This movie covers so many themes that I considered it to be an “ensemble” as it explored British skin-heads against Pakistani immigrants, gay lovers, potentially arranged marriages, drug smuggling, and the running of a launderette. The main interest I had was to see Daniel Day-Lewis, but he does not have a dominating role and I could not have predicted that he would someday possess the most Oscars for a best male actor. Today, one might ask if the skin head treatment of the Paskistanis might have been one of the causes of the Pakistani youth to become London Al Qaeda bombers.

jmmason
Jan 27, 2012

A teriffic British film about the complex class struggle and the racial and immigration problems in London in the early 80's. It's a mixed-race love story starring Daniel Day-Lewis in a breakthrough role.

One of my favorite films of all time. Stephen Frears' outstanding directing talents come to bear on Hanif Kureshi's spectacular script for a movie that's an amazing, right-in-the-moment view of that time and place, and a lively, moving film for the ages. An instant classic.

Quotes

Salim to Omar: How's your Papa? So many books written and read. Politicians sought him out. Bhutto was his close friend. But we're nothing in England without money.

Omar's Papa: Or are you still a fascist?
Johnny: You used to give us a lot of good advice, sir...when I was little.
Papa: When you were little. What's it made of you? Are you a politician? Journalist? Trade unionist? No. You're an underpants cleaner. Oh, dear. The working class is such a great disappointment to me .. Help me. I don't want my son in this ... underpants-cleaning condition. I want him reading in college. You tell him. You go to college. He must have knowledge. We all must, now... if we're to see clearly what is being done and to whom...in this country. Right?

Salim to Omar: Don't ever offer me money. It was an educational test I put on you...to make you see you did a wrong thing. Don't, in future, bite the family hand when you can eat out of it. You need money, just ask me.

Daughter: I don't mind my father having a mistress.
Mistress: Good. I'm so grateful.
Daughter: I don't mind my father spending our money on you...
Mistress: Why don't you mind?
Daughter: ...or my father being with you, instead of with our mother. But I don't like women who live off men.
Mistress: But tell me, who do you live off? And you must understand... we're of different generations...different classes. Everything is waiting for you. The only thing that has ever waited for me...is your father.

Thug: Why are you working for these people? Pakis?
Johnny: It's work, that's why. I want to do some work, instead of always hanging around. What, you're jealous?
Thug: No, I'm angry, Johnny. I don't like to see one of our blokes groveling to Pakis. They came over here to work for us. That's why we brought them over. Okay? Don't cut yourself off from your own people. There's no one else who really wants you. Everyone has to belong.

Papa: Listen, damn country has done us in. That's why I'm like this. We should be there. Home.
Uncle: But that country's been sodomized by religion. It's beginning to interfere with the making of money.

Salim: Can you wash a car? Have you washed a car before? Your uncle can't pay you very much...but at least you'll be able to afford a decent shirt...and you'll be with your own people, not in the dole queue.
Omar: Mrs. Thatcher will be happy with me.
Salim: You just wet a rag and rub. You know how to rub, don't you? Do this one first. Carefully...as if you were restoring a Renaissance painting.